When the economy suddenly found us working Saturdays, Saturday night out became all the more important. Enter the Silver Spur in Mechanic Falls.
Self-described as "Maine's Capital of Country Music," the Silver Spur includes a dance hall, banquet hall, campground, and also serves as home to the Maine State Country Music Hall of Fame. This past Saturday featured a spirited performance by the Record Family.
Made up of Elton, Dede, Merle, Jim, and Verne Record, plus cousin Erica Brown (of Empire Dine and Dance's own Bluegrass Night), the Record Family exist solely in residency at the Silver Spur.
The group play a mix of traditional old-time country music and original compositions, all written by Elton Record, a recent inductee to the aforementioned Hall of Fame. While Elton picks both guitar and banjo, the Record Family round out with fiddle, drums, pedal steel, and electric bass.
The Record Family are undeniably talented, and this past Saturday the crowd was out for dancing. Within five minutes of opening our first (BYOB) beer, my accompanying friend and I were both invited to the floor. And the waltzing and two-stepping never slowed.
The average patron's age may hover around 62, but the Silver Spur shows a good time to adventurous members of any generation. Where in Portland can you eat a red hotdog, buy a new pair of cowboy boots, get a private tour of a hall of fame, and dance a two-step to an award-winning fiddle-player?
Sometimes a short drive up the turnpike is all it takes to escape the work-week, and truly feel like you're in another world.
